(Book). The Grateful Dead symbolized the psychedelic '60s, with their links to Ken Kesey, the Merry Pranksters, and the LSD-drenched acid tests. The Dead got their reputation as the greatest live jam-band in history by headlining hundreds of free-form dance concerts in San Francisco at Bill Graham's Fillmore Auditoriums and the Family Dog's Avalon Ballroom. In the 1970s, the Dead became the favorites of millions of college-age students, and had toured constantly to keep build that audience which before long took on its own name, the Dead Heads. Over the next 20 years, the Dead solidified their position as one of rock's most consistent top money-makers, creating instantly sold-out attendance records at notable venues like New York's Madison Square Garden and Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheater and Dead Heads traveled by the thousands in caravans to dozens and dozens more arenas, stadiums, and amphitheaters in every corner of America as well as in Great Britain and Europe. The Grateful Dead continue to captivate fans around the world through the phenomenal artist-fan connectivity that has set them apart from the droves of bands that have come and gone over the years. In a fast-moving topical format, Grateful Dead expert Paul Grushkin covers everything there is to know about this legendary band from famous tours to obscure releases.